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The P90X chest and back workout is no joke! It is as intense as they claim it is, and at the same time it is fun, and radically effective!

Even as difficult as it was, Tony Horton does a great job of both motivating you to really push your limits, while at the same time encouraging you to take breaks when you need them. There are also several water breaks when you can catch your breath, and plenty of time devoted to warming up, as well as cooling down.

The Exercises

This workout is divided up into 2 "rounds". You run through the entire workout once, then they change things up a bit and run you through the entire thing a second time. By the second time around, you are truly grateful that you are on the downhill slide towards the end of the workout!

Standard Push-ups

Nothing too fancy here, other than to push it for as many reps as you can do. The knee-supported position is great for people who don't have as much upper-body strength at first, or you can drop to your knees later in the workout when you really start to get tired. That being said, however, the girl in the video knocked out plenty of standard push-ups without resting on her knees, so yes, ladies, you can get to that point, too!

This exercise is done with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and you are encouraged to keep going as long as you can. 

Wide Front Pull-ups

If you have a pull-up bar, this exercise is done with your hands far apart, palms facing away from you. Tony encourages you to use a chair for support in order to build up strength, and he shows many different ways you can do that, depending on your strength level.

Unless you are already in great shape, don't expect to get more than about 10 pull-ups done with proper form!

Also, if you don't have a pull-up bar, you can attach a resistance band to a doorway or other high point and pull the handles down and back, which does a great job of simulating the movement done on the pull-up bar. 

Military Push-ups

This version of the push-up is done with your hands close to your body, directly under your shoulders. Also, your elbows stay tucked in as you go up and down, which gives this movement a radically different feel than the standard push-ups.

Again, using the knee-supported position is encouraged so that you can get out a decent number of high-quality repetitions.  

Reverse Grip Chin-ups

Back to the bar to pull yourself up with your palms facing towards you this time around, hands about shoulder-width apart.

Again, you can use a chair for support in order to build up your strength, and this exercise can also be done with the resistance bands. If using the bands, your palms will probably be facing more towards the ceiling than directly towards your face like they do when you use a pull-up bar. 

Wide Fly Push-Ups (a.k.a. Wide Grip Push-ups) 

By putting your hands much farther than shoulder-width apart, you put a radically different angle on the stress that this movement puts on your muscles and connective tissues.

Tony reminds you to not go TOO far apart, however, which could result in injury, or at least in a face plant on your floor if you lose control. As always, the knee-supported position can get you through to a higher number of reps, especially if you're starting to get tired, which you probably are by this point in the workout.

Closed Grip Overhand Pull-ups

Significantly harder than it looks, this version of the pull-ups has your palms facing away from you again, only this time your hands are very close together. You should be able to touch the tips of your thumbs together when you are in position to begin the exercise.

By this point in the routine, even people who started out not using a chair for support are probably going to need to use one. Although this version of the movement engages your forearms as well, your very fatigued shoulder and back muscles still need to do most of the heavy lifting. 

Decline Push-ups

In short, these are just push-ups that you do with your feet up on a chair or other surface. By keeping the proper form, you can really feel the difference in how your chest muscles are worked from this angle.

As long as your chair is not too tall, you can still do this movement with your knees resting on the ground, and by this point, that is probably exactly what you are going to be doing.

Heavy Pants (a.k.a. 2-arm Dumbbell Row)

Big props to Tony for basically telling people to not wimp out on this movement. You are pulling 2 dumbbells straight backwards while supporting your back by bending your knees. As Tony points out, you are using some huge muscles at this point, so be sure to use weight that is really challenging and that takes you to muscle failure by your target number of repetitions.

Do push yourself on this exercise, but at the same time, don't overdo it. Keep very strict form to protect your lower back from the strain of holding onto the heavy dumbbells. 

Diamond Push-ups

Also known as close grip push-ups, this exercise is REALLY great for working the muscles on the backs of your arms, called the Triceps.

Even stronger people often need to go down into the knee-supported push-up position for this exercise, and there is no shame in doing so. If you get to the point where you seriously feel like you might fall on your face because you are so tired (and that is a distinct possibility!), just limit your range of motion. Don't try to go all the way down to the floor, but rather just unhinge your elbows for a small down movement, and then push yourself back up for as many reps as you can do. 

Lawnmower (a.k.a. 1-arm Dumbbell Row)

This is another exercise that you can do heavier weights with, so don't wimp out even though you are really tired by this point in the workout. Tony shows you how to get in a great stance that really supports your body, so give it all you've got with a challenging weight on your dumbbell.

Also, the exercise is basically just pulling the dumbbell from the bottom to the top of the movement, but you can also slightly twist towards the opposite side of your body to get a little more out of the exercise, especially if the weight you are holding isn't quite enough of a challenge at any point during the set. 

Dive Bomber Push-ups

By this point, you will really wonder if it is even POSSIBLE to do this exercise! In short, you start in a bent-over position with your hands and feet on the floor, and you simulate what it would be like to crawl underneath a fence that was only about 6" from the ground, and then you reverse that same movement to go back to the starting position.

It's REALLY hard to do at first, but as with all exercises, getting your brain to talk to your body (neuromuscular coordination) will quickly improve your ability to do this exercise. Be VERY careful, however! If you hit muscle failure at the wrong moment, and you aren't paying attention, you could literally land on your face. There is no real danger of that, however, as long as you are paying attention and not daydreaming. 

Back Fly

Tony shows 2 different versions of this exercise, one where you are sitting in a chair, and one where you are standing in a bent-over position with your knees bent. In both versions, you are holding a fairly heavy dumbbell in each hand, and your objective is to squeeze your shoulder blades together in order to move the weights backwards.

It helps to imagine your shoulder blades coming together as you do this exercise, because if you don't, you could target the wrong muscles. Since this is done with a moderately heavy set of dumbbells, you want to be sure to take advantage of the strength of the muscles that you are supposed to be using. 

Ab Ripper X

By the time you get to Ab Ripper X, if you are working out with a buddy, you are hugging and giving each other high-fives, and in some cases, you may actually feel like crying with joy because the chest and back workout is over! However, the ab routine is approximately 20 more minutes of fun, and although your chest and back get a break, your abs will be screaming for mercy in no time.

In & Out

You are basically using your butt as a pivot point while you kick your legs out, and lower your upper body slightly towards the floor.

This is a very difficult exercise at first, and putting your hands on the floor for support is not only recommended, but probably necessary, because by this time you are seriously tired.

Seated Bicycle

Starting from roughly the same position as the In & Outs, you just simulate the movement of peddling a bicycle, and then you reverse direction.

Yeah, it sounds easy, but it's not. Don't be surprised if the hip flexors in your legs give out even before your abdominal muscles do. 

Seated Crunchy Frog

By this point, you may feel inspired to say "You MUST be kidding" when Tony demonstrates the exercise. In essence, it is just like an In & Out, only your have to momentarily wrap your arms around your knees, which means that you can no longer have your hands on the floor for support.

Don't be discouraged if you only get about 5 of these out before you have to take a break. Get right back to it, though. All of the Ab Ripper X movements give you plenty of time to rest for a few seconds, then attempt a few more repetitions. 

Wide Leg Sit-ups

Such a simple sounding name for a NOT very simple exercise. Basically you lay down with your legs wide apart, and put one hand behind your head. Then, you lift straight up with the other hand while doing a sit-up, and then reach across your body after you are sitting straight up.

You alternate back and forth like that on both sides of your body, and by this point you are wondering how it is even POSSIBLE for the people on the video to still be doing it.

Fifer Scissor

Much like the standard scissor exercises that many people used to do in gym class, only this one has an added twisted. You do start in the lying down position (which is wonderful by this point!), but rather than just kicking your legs back and forth in a spastic manner, you only do one leg at a time while the other leg is held 6" off of the floor.

By this point in the workout, even holding one of your legs off the floor is difficult, let alone lifting the other leg up a full 90-degrees. As always, don't beat yourself up if you can't do it. Just try your best, rest for a few seconds, and then try again. All that matters is that you try your hardest, not that you work as hard as Tony and the other people in the video.

Hip Rock n' Raise

Again starting in the lying down position, this time with your knees out, and the heels of your feet touching. You contract your ab muscles to bring your lower body off the floor, then push your hips up towards the ceiling.

It does not sound easy, and it ISN'T easy. Don't be surprised if you find yourself looking at the clock in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, and then being truly grateful that it's almost over!

Pulse Up

This is more of a standard hip raise type of movement where you basically have both feet facing the ceiling, and you do your best to push your heels as high towards the ceiling as possible.

If this exercise was done earlier in the routine, it would not be as difficult, but by this point, it is truly challenging to get out very many reps with good form. 

Roll-up/V-up Combo

It's a bit difficult to explain, and even watching it takes a few turns before you finally get it right. Basically you reach both hands up towards your extended legs, then you rock backwards to bring your legs off of the floor. You go about halfway back to the position of having your back on the floor, you stop, and then you reach toward your toes, all the while keeping your legs off of the floor.

It is as difficult as it sounds, but at the same time, it is an incredible exercise. Just take your time and focus on form rather than a high number of repetitions. 

Oblique V-up

Basically this is a side bend while lying on the opposite side of your body, but again, Tony makes it more challenging by saying that you also have to lift your legs up at the same time.

The golden chalice of this movement is being able to touch your thigh with the elbow of the arm that is behind your head. Very difficult to do in the beginning, although you can bend your knees in order to build up strength when you first start doing this exercise. 

Leg Climb

This exercise is not just difficult because you are so incredibly exhausted by this point, but also because you are all sweaty. Basically what you do is lift one leg about 45-degrees off of the ground, then reach up with both hands trying to "climb" your upper body up your leg until you can touch your toes.

Flexibility goes into this exercise as much as abdominal and core strength do, so don't be discouraged if you can't touch your toes. Just keep doing the exercise as long as you can, alternating to the other leg as directed. 

Mason Twist

The "tour de force" that is the final exercise in Ab Ripper X, and the final exercise of the workout session, they saved the best for last. Once again, you are using your butt as a pivot point, while your upper body and your legs are both held above the floor. Once in that position, you clasp your hand together and rotate very rapidly from side to side, trying to touch the floor on each repetition.

This exercise is thankfully not done for a very long time, because at this point in the workout, you are pretty much shot. It is a fast-paced movement, however, and does a good job of getting you to give it one last final punch to make it through to the finish line.

Conclusion

The chest and back workout is very challenging, yet very effective. The specific exercises that were chosen not only get the job done, but they are put together in an order that allows you to use a different muscle group while the previous muscle group is recuperating.

Notice the word "recuperating" rather than "resting". There are no significant "rest" periods during the entire 45+ minute workout.

Ab Ripper X incorporates a few "standard" abdominal exercises, but overall it is a very unique and well-rounded abdominal workout. Each exercise is only done once, for a total of 25 repetitions, so even as challenging as it is, you only have to make it through one time.

Overall, the Chest and Back workout and the Ab Ripper X workout live up to the P90X standards of intensity and effectiveness, yet at the same time plenty of encouragement and motivation are given. Tony and the other people in the video make it fun, the music keeps you going, and you end the workout with a smile on your face, even though you are completely wiped out.

2 thumbs up!

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